Class of 2015
Music
Lecturer of Music – Chesterfield College
Country: United Kingdom
IF YOU STUDIED YOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES, DID YOU GO ON TO POSTGRADAUTE STUDY?
Yes, somewhere else.
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PHOTO AS YOUR YSJ SNAPSHOT?
This photo is from my most recent graduation at Chesterfield College. I have recently completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education here, which has been awarded from Sheffield Hallam University, almost 10 years to the day since my first graduation at York St John University.
WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND YSJ TO SOMEONE?
The Music course at York St John provided me with so many amazing experiences. Highlights included a variety of performance opportunities, placements in a local primary school and Accessible Arts and Media, and work experience in a local care home.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES?
I chose YSJ because the smaller groups sizes appealed to me. I also love York as a city. My sister had attended YSJ too 6 years previously and she had a fantastic experience too.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE COMPLETING YOUR STUDIES?
Immediately after finishing my degree, I went to work for All Saints and St Andrews Church in Huntington, York. Here I explored ministry and developed skills such as public speaking, youth & children’s work, pastoral care, and using my musical skills to put on a a solo concert and had my first Musical Directing experience in the musical ‘Godspell’. I worked part time in a shop and then for The Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust as a Conference Administrator.
Three years after finishing my degree, I left York and returned to Chesterfield. I met my husband during the last 6 months that I was living in York. Once I had returned home, I got a job working as an administrator at Chesterfield College. My husband and I got married during the pandemic.
In 2022 I completed a 10 week introduction to teaching course which started my passion for teaching. In 2023 I started the PGCE at Chesterfield College (accredited to Sheffield Hallam University) and started my placement in the Music department at the college. I worked alongside studying, which was challenging.
A year ago (November 2024) I started my first lecturing position at Chesterfield College for two days a week, taking on the role of personal tutor for the Level 1 Music group. In September 2025 I gained another day of teaching per week, which has given me the opportunity to leave my admin role to focus on teaching.
The Music course at YSJ gave me a taste of a range of careers in the Music industry, including teaching, and I was encouraged to try new things. It has taken me 10 years for my lifelong dream of teaching to become a reality, but the journey to get here has been extraordinary.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIFIC COURSE?
I also loved the fact that the Music course wasn’t just a history of Music and learning about what the likes of Bach did. The course was hands on, we drummed or sang or beat boxed in workshops and seminars. Our listening list before we started the course was all 20th century Music, so I was listening to David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles. The course is relevant and interesting, exploring a wide range of aspects of the Music industry such as Community Music, Music in Education and Solo Performance.
WHAT WERE THE BEST FEATURES OF YOUR COURSE?
Opportunities to go out into the community have been extremely valuable to me in my working life since graduation. Exploring the impact of Music in hospitals by coordinating the Hospital Music Wednesdays provision for a year was a great collaboration, alongside going to local schools and community centres. The staff were always fantastic; supportive, engaging and knowledgeable. I always looked forward to going to workshops and seminars.
HOW DID STUDYING AT YSJ HELP IN YOUR CAREER SEARCH/SUCCESS/CURRENT ROLE?
I started exploring teaching degrees early on in my time at YSJ, but unfortunately had to put the brakes on a bit due to my mental health. However, the opportunities that were included in the course really shaped me as a person and as a Musician.
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CURRENT STUDENT, OR ONE ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
I would say, if you are approaching your graduation and beginning to feel anxious about the future, don’t think of it as the end; it’s only the beginning of your journey and this degree is a building block towards an exciting future.